Mi Hungry (Rock Road)

I was excited to see one of the better BBQ joints open a branch a little closer to work, but the new Mi Hungry didn't live up to the standards of the original.

I expected to try the Jamaican fare (and will still go back for that), but the BBQ smell changed my mind for me and, with Steve, opted for the buffet ($8) and the rib tips.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed. The meat had very little smoke and was a bit on the fatty side. The sauce, however, lived up to expectations with lots of flavor but mild heat.

I got greens & rice & beans for sides - both were quite tasty, but Steve's mac & cheese came cold.

I think a lot of the problems stem from the service style which was steam trays, heat lamps, and microwave reheating. I must note the service itself was good though made tough to hear by the reggae blasting in the place (no Johnnie Taylor at this location).

Given a choice, I'd stick with the original.

New Joint, New Location, New Name (maybe)

A trip to Popeye's yield a pleasant surprise: A new joint called the Rib Shack is hiring for an upcoming opening. The address is 8642 Natural Bridge just west of Hanley.

Mi Hungry, home of BBQ & Jamacian cuisene, has a new place just west of I-170 at 8660St. Charles Rock Road.

Finally, driving by the old De's Best Q4U saw the place with a new sign in the parking lot - Mama Jennies. I don't know if it's new owners or just a new name.

Smokin Al's Wins Loser's Bracket . . .

. . . almost by default. The joints are dropping like flies. I called Wills today and got the dreaded 'not in service' message (I am not going on a 50 mi. round trip to confirm either). Steve D. & I both agreed Smokin' Al's had Mi Hungry beat, so it makes it to the playoffs.

I'll be confirming the continued existence of the other candidates, and publishing the remaining restaurants here in a few days. Stay tuned!

Mi Hungry

Steve D., Matt, & I made it for a return trip to Mi Hungry. The service was a little less enthusiastic than last year and the juke box wasn't working, but the food was as good as I remembered.

All three of us had rib tips and all three of us were mopping up the sauce with bread at the end of the meal. It's a thin but zesty sauce. The meat was well smoked but could have had a little more of the fat Q'ed out.

The sides were fantastic. I had beans & greens - both packed with flavor and the greens came with a hunk of ham bigger than has been served on some sandwiches I've had. The other guys both commented on the bold flavor of the spaghetti.

We kind of stuck out in the neighborhood with our ties. As we walked from the car, a child asked his dad, "What are those?"

"I think they're businessmen, son."

As we were eating, a woman approached asking for a donation of "fifty cents or a dollar" to raise money to bury her grandchild, bolstering her claim with her driver's license, a bill from the mortuary, a picture of the child, and an offer to send a thank you card if we'd give her our name & address. I didn't have the heart to point out the poor economics of sending a thank you card for a fifty cent donation.

But I digress. Good food. Average price. A decent joint. Check 'em out here.

Mi Hungry

What a pleasant surprise!

Steve & I headed up N. Grand yesterday to St. Louis Ave. to sample the next BBQ joint on the list, Mi Hungry. The neighborhood looks like it has seen better days (and to be fair, worse days too). An abandoned factory takes up most of the block across the street so we were expecting your typical cramped, carry-out, storefront BBQ joint.

What we got was a bright, cheery restaurant/bar with flat screen TVs, electronic darts, and, bless their souls, a jukebox with ZZ Hill and Johnnie Taylor on it. We sauntered up the bar where the proprietor and one of the customers introduced themselves. As new customers we were given samples of the rice & peas, rib tips, curried goat, and jerk chicken (did I mention the place has a Jamaican menu too?).

We both got rib tips; I had greens and the rice & peas for sides, Steve went with the baked beans. My sides were superb. The tips were good - not spectacular and I'm really looking for spectacular at this point - the sides were the best I've had yet. The sauce is not tangy but has a rich, sweet flavor. By the way - the jerk chicken & the goat were great. I'll be back for those.

All in all, a great place for lunch or dinner. Mi Hungry is open seven days a week.